Panaji, Goa:The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Goa Pradesh observed Black Day at their party headquarters to commemorate the imposition of the Emergency on June 25, 1975, citing it as a gross violation of the Indian Constitution.
The event was presided over by State President and Rajya Sabha Member Sadanand Shet Tanavade and was attended by Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, Minister Subhash Faldesai, various MLAs, and party Karyakartas.
Keynote speaker Shri Govind Parvatkar detailed how then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in an effort to protect her position after being disqualified by the High Court for corrupt practices, imposed the Emergency at midnight. Parvatkar highlighted that this led to the arrest of opposition leaders and over one lakh political and social activists, as well as severe restrictions on media freedom and civil rights. He emphasized the autocratic measures taken by Indira Gandhi and her son, Sanjay Gandhi, during this period, including forced sterilizations.
Dr. Pramod Sawant criticized Rahul Gandhi for his claims that the BJP would tamper with the Constitution, asserting that it was the Congress that had amended Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution multiple times. Sadanand Tanavade urged the younger generation to remember the “black deeds” of Congress and called for June 25 to be observed as Black Day. He also advised Karyakartas to stay vigilant against the misinformation spread by Congress.
The program was convened by Shri Damodar Naik, with Co-convenor Rupesh Kamat handling the proceedings and delivering the vote of thanks.